The use of a slide projector to generate image effects on a surface, such as a wall, a ceiling, a screen or even a person, is often desirable. A variety of arrangements are available to provide such a projection. For example, a purpose-built slide projector can be employed. However, these units can be large, heavy and often do not lend themselves to portability or tripod mounting. In addition, they often lack the ability to provide a strobe effect. Published International Patent Application No. WO 2009/068524 A1, entitled DEVICE AND METHOD FOR PROJECTING A GRAPHIC REPRESENTATION ON A PROJECTION SURFACE, by von Bismarck, teaches a projection unit that mounts a slide at the back of a conventional single lens reflex (SLR) camera with a photographic strobe flash behind the slide. The camera then, in essence, acts in reverse, causing the light passed through the slide and lens to project as an enlarged image on the surface as the strobe and shutter are triggered. The lens can be focused to provide a sharp image on the surface. Likewise, where a zoom lens is fitted to the camera, the size of the image, relative to focal distance can be varied.
The arrangement of von Bismarck is effective, but requires a dedicated and often delicate/expensive SLR to be used to generate images. Where a plurality of images is to be projected or where the photographer cannot afford to dedicate one or more cameras to a projection task, von Bismarck is somewhat impractical. More generally, von Bismarck's structure requires one to remove the strobe to change the projected film, and is limited to the use of raw film with sprocket holes. Thus, von Bismarck is not adapted to project through other types of media, such as unframed transparencies, home-printed transparent materials and the like.
Thus, it is desirable to provide a system and method for allowing the stroboscopic projection of images onto a surface with appropriate focus and (optionally) zoom, that does not require an expensive fixed projection unit and/or camera body. This system and method should be easy to use, portable and tripod-mountable. It is further desirable that the projection system and method allow for a variety of transparent media to be projected-through, in addition to raw film, such as unframed transparency film and slices of transparencies produced, for example, using a home printer.